Google has announced delays in the deployment of its anticipated AI project, Project Astra, which aims to build AI-driven applications for real-time, multimodal world understanding.
Originally showcased during Google’s I/O developer conference in May 2024, Project Astra incorporates a diverse range of technologies, according to TechCrunch.
From smartphone applications that can recognise and answer questions about the world around them to AI assistants capable of performing tasks on behalf of users, the project promises to integrate AI into daily tasks in novel ways.
Google had earlier suggested that it might release a consumer-focused “agent” experience capable of purchasing products, booking flights, and managing similar tasks by December 2024, but the timeline for this technology now appears to have been extended.
According to Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, Project Astra will introduce immersive AI experiences that will “see and reason about the world around you.” Pichai also noted during the Q3 earnings call that the company’s goal is to have experiences under Project Astra available as early as 2025. However, he indicated that a limited set of functionalities may arrive next year, though these experiences will be separate from the core offerings of Project Astra.
A significant aspect of Project Astra is its ability to recognise elements in a smartphone camera’s view and provide context or actions accordingly.
In a prerecorded demo during I/O 2024, Google illustrated how Project Astra could, for instance, identify a neighbourhood in real-time or recognise the name of a broken part on a bicycle.
While Project Astra’s delayed timeline indicates the complexities involved in developing these cutting-edge AI capabilities, the project exemplifies the growing movement in AI towards multimodal applications that blend understanding of visual, audio, and textual data.
Meanwhile, other companies, like Anthropic, have also ventured into similar areas of AI application, recently launching a generative AI model capable of controlling apps and web browsers, albeit with some struggles in performing basic tasks.
Keep up with all the latest FinTech news here.
Copyright © 2024 FinTech Global
